Sri Lanka's Dasun Shanaka has been handed a one-year ban from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for not honoring his contract with Lahore Qalandars.

The 34-year-old was originally signed for PKR 75 lakh for the 2026 PSL season but withdrew on March 21 to take an IPL opportunity with Rajasthan Royals.

On Monday (April 20), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed the withdrawal violated the Player Registration terms and the Tripartite Agreement.

"The review concluded that the player's unilateral withdrawal from the tournament constituted a clear breach of both the Player Registration terms and the Tripartite Agreement. The findings indicated that the withdrawal was made on grounds not recognized within the existing contractual framework," a PCB review stated.

"While the Board has taken note of the player's expressions of regret and his stated passion for playing in Pakistan during the formal hearing, the severity of the contractual violations necessitates regulatory action to maintain the integrity and exclusivity of the League."

Shanaka, who led Sri Lanka in the recently held T20 World Cup, expressed deep regret for his actions in the same media release.

"I deeply regret my decision to withdraw from the HBL PSL and offer my sincere apologies to the people of Pakistan, the fans of HBL PSL, and the wider cricket community," the release quoted him as saying.

"The HBL PSL is a prestigious tournament, and I fully understand the disappointment caused by my actions. To the loyal fans of Lahore Qalandars, I am truly sorry for letting you down. I must clarify that at the time I withdrew from the HBL PSL I had no intention of joining any other tournament. I have the greatest respect for Pakistani Fans and have always enjoyed my time in Pakistan. I hope to return to the HBL PSL in the future with renewed dedication and the trust of the fans."

The scheduling overlap between the PSL and the IPL in 2025 and 2026 has led to several players withdrawing from their PSL commitments to join the IPL as injury replacements.

Recently, the PCB took similar regulatory action against other players to maintain the league's exclusivity.

While Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani was handed a two-year ban for skipping his deal with Islamabad United to join Kolkata Knight Riders as a replacement for Mustafizur Rahman, South Africa’s Corbin Bosch received a one-year ban for exiting his deal with Peshawar Zalmi to join Mumbai Indians as a replacement for Lizaad Williams.

Australian pacer Spencer Johnson also pulled out of his Quetta Gladiators contract to join the Chennai Super Kings as an injury replacement for Nathan Ellis, but no penalty has been imposed on him as of now.